Has U.S. Democracy Been Trumped?

[Winstonm]

This poll has helped identify "the genuine enemy":

 

Washington (CNN)A majority of Republicans said they believed the news media is "the enemy of the people" rather than "an important part of democracy" in a poll released Tuesday.

 

The poll from Quinnipiac University showed 51% of GOP respondents identified with President Donald Trump's "enemy of the people" line -- a result that reflected an ongoing partisan breakdown on the validity of the press.

 

There are political rallies where t-shirts are worn that proclaim it better to be Russian than Democrat. The president claims the free press is the "enemy of the people". It is impossible to overemphasize the danger to democracy this crazed cult of personality brings.

 

It really needs to be stopped and stopped convincingly.

[kenberg]

BTW, does anyone else find it weird to hear everyone using Omarosa's full name? As if writing a book suddenly erases the fact that for years she was just a reality star.

 

Even when she was working in the WH the media rarely said her last name.

 

I am positive that I had never heard her name until maybe a couple of weeks ago. I never watched The Apprentice. Trump calls her a crazed crying lowlife, she calls him unhinged. I'll hold their coats while they fight it out.

 

Someone, commenting on "Unhinged" , asked why it took her so long to figure this out. And one could ask the same of Trump, regarding her and for so many others that formerly worked for him. With Trump, everyone is a really great guy/gal until they cross him, then they are scum. If the whole bunch of them could just live out their drama back on Reality TV, that would suit me fine. "You're fired." All of them.

 

I have no idea why they didn't say her full name. Or why they do now. Maybe like Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Sarah would bring up Sarah who, while using Ms. Sanders would offend those who think a woman should retain her birth name in her professional life, and Ms. Huckabee perhaps would be thought dismissive of her husband. I dunno. Different women make different choices on this matter. My first wife studied at the Minneapolis School of Art and considered signing her paintings with her maiden name. This was unusual in the early 1960s, and perhaps an omen, but I raised no objection. And maybe that was also an omen. Not really, I think

 

[Al_U_Card]

On both her turns as an "apprentice" she was a conniving, back-stabbing liar who played the victim when caught out. Since DT was likely looking for (more) sycophants in the WH staff, he paid his money (in perpetuity for some, possibly) and he took his chances. I would not trust her or anything she has to.say that is not totally corroborated.

[Winstonm]

Guiliani on CNN today helped explain Dennison's mendacity. (Paraphrased) He is the most honest president there has ever been....provided you believe what he says.

[ldrews]

I guess we are still winning : https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

[Al_U_Card]

I guess we are still winning : https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

Be fair, it has only been 2 years so he is still riding Obama's coat tails ... besides imagine just how well things would be going WITHOUT Trump in office!? Now if only Omarosa would run as Hil's veep in the next election, think of the boost to knife industry sales ... lol

[johnu]

I guess we are still winning : https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

 

Do you have a clue what you are posting about? No response required since that was a rhetorical question. B-)

[PassedOut]

Fake News: ‘Trish, you’re wrong!’ Politicians hit back at Fox anchor who lashed out at ‘socialist’ Denmark

 

There’s the Denmark of Lego, “The Little Mermaid” and intelligent TV shows that we’ve all heard so much about.

 

Then there’s the other Denmark. The one found on the Fox Business Network. “Everyone in Denmark is working for the government,” anchor Trish Regan announced in a segment aired last week. “And no one wants to work.”

 

“Not only is school free; they actually pay you. ... You know what happens then? Nobody graduates from school. ... They just stay in school,” Regan went on to say, referring to university-level education.

 

“Because that’s the reality of socialism. As one person who studied Denmark said: Nowadays all the kids graduating from schools in Denmark, they want to start cupcake cafes,” Regan said before breaking into laughter. “Denmark — like Venezuela — has stripped people of their opportunities,” the anchor concluded on a more serious note.

Seems like the fake news people aim this crap at folks who've never traveled more than 100 miles from South Podunk. The reality is quite the opposite

 

Regan’s initial characterization of Denmark as a bleak nation that robs its citizens doesn’t really add up, as any visitor to the country has probably noticed. Employment rates in Denmark are higher than in the United States. Curiously, the “no one wants to work” Danish employees are also more productive than their U.S. counterparts.

 

Regan was correct in saying that Denmark pays its citizens to study rather than charging tuition. But the country still has some of Europe’s lowest university dropout rates and performs better than nations charging their students.

 

Any direct comparison between European and U.S. university degrees is somewhat flawed, but to suggest the U.S. system is successful at retaining students would be flat-out wrong. Less than 60 percent of undergraduate students in the United States finished their studies within six years, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

 

Meanwhile, a cross-European survey conducted roughly at the same time found that 79 percent of Danish undergraduate students completed their courses. (Among those students are an increasing number of U.S. citizens who can’t afford college in their home country.) The numbers suggest paying students to study actually encourages children of lower-income families to graduate from college, which has decreased inequality in Denmark.

 

Once young Danes have completed their courses, they can rely on universal access to health care and can move to Copenhagen — currently the world’s ninth most-livable city. (No U.S. city made it into the top 10 this year.)

When you have a liar in the white house working with a 24/7 fake news operation like Fox that reaches millions of susceptible voters, you get the mess the US is in now. I hope we can work out of it...

[ldrews]

Be fair, it has only been 2 years so he is still riding Obama's coat tails ... besides imagine just how well things would be going WITHOUT Trump in office!? Now if only Omarosa would run as Hil's veep in the next election, think of the boost to knife industry sales ... lol

 

If I remember correctly, during the last 4 quarters of Obama's direct influence the GDP growth was on a decidedly downtrend. I fail to see how the dramatic turn around in GDP growth could be riding on Obama's coat tails.

[barmar]

On both her turns as an "apprentice" she was a conniving, back-stabbing liar who played the victim when caught out. Since DT was likely looking for (more) sycophants in the WH staff, he paid his money (in perpetuity for some, possibly) and he took his chances. I would not trust her or anything she has to.say that is not totally corroborated.

That was a game, not real life. If you watch any competitive reality shows, like Survivor and Big Brother, tactics like that are just part of game play, and don't necessarily reflect on the player's integrity.

 

I'm not saying she's a saint, but I don't think it's appropriate to base your assessment of her on how she played a game. If I buy up all the good properties in Monopoly, that doesn't mean I would be a greedy landlord in real life.

[Winstonm]

It's funny that the one thing Dennison sycophants tout is something about which he has virtually no control or input. Like I said before, Dennison isn't a liar if you believe his claims, including that he alone is responsible for everything positive but nothing bad. Of course, there is a term for people who are gullible enough to take him at his word - supposedly, one is born every minute - or are they simply disingenuous?

[kenberg]

That was a game, not real life. If you watch any competitive reality shows, like Survivor and Big Brother, tactics like that are just part of game play, and don't necessarily reflect on the player's integrity.

 

I'm not saying she's a saint, but I don't think it's appropriate to base your assessment of her on how she played a game. If I buy up all the good properties in Monopoly, that doesn't mean I would be a greedy landlord in real life.

When I was 12 or so I had a board game called "Taxi, the game with rules that are made to be broken". I don't recall the details but it was perhaps a good training game for working in the investment business. I agree that she should not be judged harshly by how she won at The Apprentice if the rules were designed to allow or encourage such technique. Strong ability at scamming people seems to be a character trait much admired by our president. He set up his business that way, his TV show that way, and his presidency that way. She's good at it. He can be proud of the role he has played in helping her along.

 

[Al_U_Card]

That was a game, not real life. If you watch any competitive reality shows, like Survivor and Big Brother, tactics like that are just part of game play, and don't necessarily reflect on the player's integrity.

 

I'm not saying she's a saint, but I don't think it's appropriate to base your assessment of her on how she played a game. If I buy up all the good properties in Monopoly, that doesn't mean I would be a greedy landlord in real life.

Touché. It was more contextual in the sense that she stooped lower than the rest. Usually easier if that is your norm, I would expect. Still, it might well be her "acting" abilities that got her the WH job. ;)

[Winstonm]

From Dennison's tweet:

Now the (Boston)Globe is in COLLUSION with other papers on free press. PROVE IT!

 

It's worse than that, Donny boy. Those papers are also in collusion with shady characters like James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, et al. :o

[johnu]

Dennison’s Military Parade Postponed Indefinitely Amid Reports Of Overspending

 

No problem. I'm sure Dennison can transfer excess funds from the Mexican Wall that will be under budget and ahead of schedule.

[Winstonm]

Question of the day. Provided Manafort is found guilty, would a Dennison pardon be an obstruction of justice as Mueller is still trying to obtain Manafort's cooperation?

[ldrews]

Since Trump was elected President:

 

• 
   
  
• Almost 4 million new jobs have been created since President Trump’s election.
  
• African-American, Hispanic-American, and Asian-American unemployment rates have all recently reached the lowest levels in history.
  
• Women’s unemployment rate has reached the lowest level in 65 years.
  
• Veterans’ unemployment rate recently reached its lowest level in nearly 20 years.
  
• The unemployment rate for Americans without high school diplomas is at the lowest level ever recorded, and the Trump administration’s new workforce initiative will deliver job-training to more than 4 million Americans.
  
• Manufacturing jobs are being created at the fastest pace in over three decades.
  
• Nearly half-a-million manufacturing jobs have been created since the president took office. In the month of July alone, nearly 40,000 new manufacturing jobs were added.
  
• Almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps since President Trump’s election.
  
• The president crafted the largest tax cut in a generation, which led to savings for more than 80 percent of households and pay raises and bonuses for 4 million American workers.
  
• President Trump protected American taxpayers by asking Congress to rescind $15.4 billion in unused appropriations.
  
• The president has hired/nominated an impressive number of women to senior positions in his administration, including the first female director of the CIA, Gina Haspel.
  
• He’s appointed two Supreme Court justices, and the Senate has now confirmed 26 appellate court judges of his choosing, as well as Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
  
• He successfully negotiated the return of four American hostages in one month’s time.
  
• President Trump’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Action has exceeded the 2:1 mandate, eliminating 22 job-killing regulations for every one new regulatory action.
  
• President Trump signed the “Right to Try” Act to give terminally ill patients a chance to try lifesaving treatments.
  
• The Department of Homeland Security arrested 796 MS-13 gang members and associates in FY 2017, an 83 percent increase from the previous year.
  
• The president signed the VA Mission Act, which allows veterans who don’t live near a VA facility or can’t get an appointment in a timely manner to seek medical care from private health-care providers.
  
• Signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which provides an $82 billion funding increase for the Department of Defense over the current period, including a $617 billion Pentagon budget, $22 billion for the nuclear weapons program and $69 billion for U.S. military efforts abroad, as well as new tanks, ships, and planes. The package includes a salary boost for service members, about a 2.6 percent raise—the biggest military pay raise in nearly a decade.
   
   
  

[blackshoe]

Be fair, it has only been 2 years so he is still riding Obama's coat tails ... besides imagine just how well things would be going WITHOUT Trump in office!? Now if only Omarosa would run as Hil's veep in the next election, think of the boost to knife industry sales ... lol

Perhaps we'd be doing better if nobody was in that office.

[Al_U_Card]

Perhaps we'd be doing better if nobody was in that office.

You know you're in trouble when you wish for the "good old days" of Jimmy Carter... :lol:

[ldrews]

You know you're in trouble when you wish for the "good old days" of Jimmy Carter... :lol:

 

You must have a taste for honorable but ineffective presidents!

[johnu]

Dennison’s Military Parade Postponed Indefinitely Amid Reports Of Overspending

 

No problem. I'm sure Dennison can transfer excess funds from the Mexican Wall that will be under budget and ahead of schedule.

 

 

Other suggestions, some from twitter

 

Mexico will pay for the parade

 

Russia will pay for the parade

 

The Bone Spurs support group will pay for the parade

 

Russia will provide the troops, the tanks, and the planes for the parade (in exchange for some insignificant military bases in the US)

 

Dennison says he will go to Paris for the November 11 Armistace day parade to watch a real military parade. A couple of questions:

 

Did anybody from the French government invite Dennison?

 

Any chance France can keep Dennison? Maybe somebody with Hollywood connections can throw in the rights to the Jerry Lewis movies to sweeten the pot.

[johnu]

Tucker Carlson’s Taco Tantrum: ‘It’s An American Food! ... Those Are My Tacos. Mine!’

 

The story behind the story - Did Dennison threaten to deport tacos back to Mexico? :lol:

 

The Real History Of The Taco, In Case Tucker Carlson Forgot

[Winstonm]

The NYT reports:

 

The president described Mr. Manafort as “a very good person” who worked for him only briefly, adding: “The whole Manafort trial is very sad. When you look at what’s going on there, I think it’s a very sad day for our country.”

 

What is there about prosecuting someone for serious financial crimes that makes it "a sad day for our country"? Does it really matter whether the Special Prosecutor uncovered the crimes rather another enforcement agency? Wouldn't the failure of law enforcement to prosecute white-collar criminals be sadder?

 

We seem to have a law-and-order president who roots for criminals over law enforcement, supports the Joker over Harvey Dent.

[barmar]

Dennison’s Military Parade Postponed Indefinitely Amid Reports Of Overspending

 

No problem. I'm sure Dennison can transfer excess funds from the Mexican Wall that will be under budget and ahead of schedule.

Actually, he's trying to take back money from the foreign aid budget of the State Department.

[barmar]

What is there about prosecuting someone for serious financial crimes that makes it "a sad day for our country"? Does it really matter whether the Special Prosecutor uncovered the crimes rather another enforcement agency? Wouldn't the failure of law enforcement to prosecute white-collar criminals be sadder?

In Trump's mind there are only two types of people: if you support him, you're a "really good people"; if you're against him, you're scum. And it's easy to go from one to the other -- Omarossa was one of his proteges for years, but now that she's written a tell-all book that insults him, she's persona non grata.